Quiet Ride "Quiet Riding Comfort Kit" - Corners, Edges, And Threads

Insulating The Interior For Sound And Heat Protection

Let's admit it, our muscle cars are loud and can be downright rough at times. Big-blocks always sound good in the parking lot at idle but it can be an ear-bleeding
experience once you get up to speed. Forget about having a conversation with the passenger. Sounds reverberate, and with only a thin piece of sheetmetal separating you from the exhaust below there isn't much in the form of sound dampening, or heat protection for that matter. Knowing the potentially deafening decibal readings our budget big-block might create, we hunted down a solution for quelling all that noise and heat.

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A little research led us to a simple solution from Quiet Ride Solutions with their pre-cut and ready-to-install "quiet riding comfort" kits. This all-in-one package comes with everything you need to complete your interior, including Dynamat, heat shielding, spray adhesive, and foil tape. And with more than 700 kits available, finding the right insulation package for your muscle car shouldn't be an issue. For our El Camino, the kit included insulation items for everything we needed to cover, from the firewall to the rear panel, and the floorpan to the roof. To finish the job, we also went with a one-piece carpet kit from Original Parts Group, which included new Fisher door sill plates.

Installation time will vary, but in our case it required two solid days of work from start to finish. All said and done, we were rewarded with a factory-fresh appearing interior and even had a slight hint of new-car smell. Trust us, the hard work is well worth the effort; just remember to please remove your shoes first before entering.

Quick Notes

What We Did
Laid down insulation and finished it off with fresh carpet

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Quiet Ride "Quiet Riding Comfort Kit" - Corners, Edges, And Threads

The beauty of this kit is in its simplistic nature. Whether the Quiet Ride Solutions insulation is purchased as a complete kit or in sections, each section will come with Dynamat adhesive strips, a wallpaper roller, and spray adhesive. You also get the heat-insulated barrier and each Dynamat strip is lettered to its corresponding location.

Using the instructions, we first laid out each strip to get a general idea of how the final fitment would look. It's important to note that once the Dynamat strip is adhered to the surface, it's nearly impossible to remove. When you're ready to apply it, make sure it's where you want it to go.

While removing the heater core to install the firewall insulation we were met with a core full of old newspaper clippings, leaves, and sticks. Our advice is to remove the heater core and have it pressure checked at a radiator shop. In most cases, they may need a little soldering and should be good to go.

After the preliminary fitment, we removed the pieces and cleaned the area and removed anything that would prevent the strips from sticking. We then peeled the paper backing off the strips and applied them onto the floorpan.

With the strips in place, we then used the supplied roller and pressed the entire floor firmly. This ensures complete adhesion between the Dynamat strips and the floorpan.

To cover the transmission tunnel, we again followed the lettering instructions provided by Quiet Ride Solutions and it only required four strips to complete the job.

What is it?
Quiet Ride Solutions uses a fibrous padding called, "Jute". It's a fiber-tech material that reacts rather uniquely when bonded to the aluminum sheeting; it forms the damper/absorber/reflective barrier they call HeatShield. It has a thermal "R" factor of 18.3 (a thermal factor equal to about 6 inches of fiberglass house insulation). In real-world before and after testing with AcoustiShield, it reduced interior noise levels up to 18 decibels. To put that into perspective, a 10 dB reduction equates to a 50 percent drop in passenger cabin noise. Equally significant is the 20- to 25-degree reduction in radiant heat that is transmitted through the body panels, firewall, floor, and roof.

Prepping the interior for the firewall heat shield was more time consuming than we had originally anticipated. Taking our time, we removed the heater core and any other mismatched hardware that we would not be able to remove once the heat shield was installed.

The firewall heat shield kit comes supplied with seven plastic-ribbed plugs. Once the heat shield is in its desired location, each pre-cut hole will have a plug inserted through to the firewall. We began on the passenger side and made our way to the driver side.

Before reinstalling the heater core, we went ahead and sprayed it with fresh paint. We first lined up the studs of the heater core with the holes in the heat shield and then through the firewall. We then used a 3/8-inch socket to secure it into place.

To install the floor insulation, we started with the transmission tunnel. The floor kit comes complete with all the pieces pre-cut for a perfect fit. Using the supplied spray adhesive, we applied the glue to the floorpan and to the back of the insulation (shiny side up). Once the glue is dry we centered the piece and laid it down by pressing from the center out.

We followed up by gluing the remaining pre-cut pieces to the transmission tunnel and sealed the edges with foil tape (supplied).

Moving over to the passenger side, we applied the spray glue first onto the floor and over the Dynamat. From there, we applied the glue to the backside of the insulation. Next, we lined up the edges starting under the heater core and we worked our way back, paying close attention to fill all the hills and valleys of the floorpan.

We followed the same process for the driver side. Once glued down for final placement, we began the long process of sealing off the edges with aluminum tape.

Installing the rear panel kit is a similar process. Again, Quiet Ride Solutions provides pre-cut Dynamat squares to adhere to the back panel.

A little trimming will be necessary on some of the insulation pieces. It's a good idea to pre-fit the panel up against the rear area before it's glued. In our case, we had some extra trimming to apply to the gusset in the center of the rear panel as well as the spare tire crossmember. The bottom overhang was also trimmed.

The roof kit comes just as complete as the rest. Six long Dynamat strips come for the ceiling; however, we cut ours down just a bit with the leftover placed
in three separate small squares.

For an easier installation, we cut the roof insulation piece right down the middle. This would allow us to handle getting the insulation in overhead. Once cut, we measured and marked where the excess would need to be trimmed. Then we sprayed the glue to both sides before it was pressed to the ceiling.

A large scraper or a flat-blade screwdriver can be used to fit the insulation into the edges of the ceiling.

Our one-piece carpet kit from Original Parts Group is a high-grade fabric. It came rolled up in a box so plan ahead and unroll the carpet to allow the fibers to relax for at least 24 hours before installation. With the insulation complete, we slid in our new threads. Right off the bat, we carefully cut 2 inches from the top. For final fitment, we had to remove approximately 4 inches from the top in order for the carpet to fit well and remain high enough up the floorboards.

For a perfect fit, the carpet was removed half a dozen times. If you aren't sure, measure twice and cut once.

Using the Fisher sill plate as a template, we determined where the carpet would need to be cut to butt up against the B-pillar lip. From there we removed the excess for a perfect, manicured look.

OPG even provides the plastic O-ring for the high-beam headlight switch in the floor. We laid the carpet over the switch and cut an "X" over the top. After verifying a sure fit, we enlarged the hole and installed the O-ring.

Having enough carpet to hang over the door sills is important. The sill plate's purpose isn't just for aesthetics; it also helps to secure the carpet to the car. We cut enough excess carpet away and planted the brand-new Fisher sill plates with the supplied hardware from OPG.

Keeping the old parts around is a hit-or-miss. In our case, it was a hit. We kept the factory side kick panels, which we cleaned up and installed for both sides, giving it a more completed look. We still have plans for the interior, so once those are complete, we'll revisit the carpet and glue it down. Stay tuned for a future issue where we'll install the seats; front and rear glass, including the weatherstripping; and door panels.